Adjustable basketball goal



' July 4, 1967 D. A. BEARSON 3,329,427

ADJUSTABLE BASKETBALL GOAL- Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Y INVENTOR. "ii-k -'..f;,-j.-' DALE A. BEARSON July 4, 1967 D. A. BEARSON ADJUSTABLE BASKETBALL GOAL Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 '7 v FIG. 5 J

F IG. 4 H1 INVEN'TOR.

DALE A. BEARSON United States Patent O 3,329,427 ADJUSTABLE BASKETBALL GOAL Dale A. Bearson, Grand Meadow, Minn., assignor of onehalf to Darrell W. Bearson, Minneapolis, Minn. Filed Jan. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 338,039 4 Claims. (Cl. 2731.5)

This invention relates to basketball goals and more particularly it has reference to means for supporting a basketball goal so that it may be adjusted vertically.

For the playing of the game of basketball by adult or mature players, the basketball goal is usually placed at regulation height above the floor. Such a location of the goal is generally too high for the younger children who may -wish to play basketball and hence they may be precluded from a sustained enjoyment of the game.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a relatively simple yet efficient means for supporting a hasketball goal so that it may be adjusted vertically,

Other objects are to provide such a basketball supporting means of the type described which is simple in structure so that it may be manufactured and assembled at a relatively low cost; will hold the goal securely in adjusted position and may be raised or lowered with a minimum of effort.

These and other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will hereinafter be more fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a basketball goal support embodying the invention. v

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the vertically movable carriage mounted on a portion of the support member.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the upper supporting arm, with parts shown in section.

FIG. 4 is a similar view of the lower supporting arms.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings wherein indicates a vertical support member or post which may be held in a fixed position by any suitable means such as embedding it in concrete 11. The support member 10, which is preferably rectangular in cross-section, has the parallel side faces 12 and 13 and the parallel front and rear faces 14 and 15.

Mounted for vertical movement on the support member 10 is the carriage 16 which is formed of two similar side plates 17 and 18 which are mounted, respectively, on the opposite sides of the support member 10 and are held in sliding engagement with the side faces 12 and .13 by the tie rods or bolts 19. Secured to and projecting forwardly from the upper portion of carriage 16 is the support arm 20 and secured to and projecting forwardly from the lower portion of the carriage 16 are the diverging support arms 21 and 22. The forward portions of the support arms are bolted to the backboard 23 which carries the usual hoop or basket 24 on its front side.

In order to facilitate the vertical movement of the carriage 16, anti-friction means, such as rollers 25 and 26 are rotatably mounted on the carriage. The roller 25 is mounted on the lower front portion of carriage 16 so that the roller 25 is in rolling engagement with the front face 14 of the support member 10 and the roller 26 is mounted on the upper rear portion of the carriage 16 in rolling engagement with the rear face of the support member 10. Hence, even though the weight of the overhanging backboard and hoop is substantial, the carriage 16 may be easily moved along the support member .10. Since the side plates 17 and 18 have substantial areas thereof, from top to bottom, in sliding engagement with the respective side faces 12 and 13 of the support member 10, the backboard 3,329,427 Patented July 4, 1967 23 is securely held in position without lateral movement relative to the support member 10.

The carriage 16 and its attached backboard 23 and hoop 24 may be adjustably moved along the support member 10 by any suitable means such as a flexible cable or rope 27 which is secured by hook 28 to the upper front portion of the carriage 16 and passes upwardly over pulley 29 which is carried at the top portion of the support member 10. The cable 27 extends downwardly from the pulley 29 along the rear side of support member 10 when the goal supporting carriage 16 is in the desired position, it may be held therein by securing the free end of the cable 27 in any suitable manner such as tying it or engaging a link 30 carried by the cable with a hook 31 mounted on the support member 10. Or the cable 27 could be controlled by a suitable Windlass, not shown, which could be mounted on member 10.

By tightening or loosening the nuts on tie bolts 19, as well as the bolts which support the rollers, it is possible to selectively vary the frictional engagement between the side plates 17 and 18 and the respective faces 12 and 13. The side plates 17 and 18 should engage the faces 12 and 13 firmly enough to prevent objectionable lateral movement of the backboard 23 while still permitting relatively easy movement of the carriage along the support member 10.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the objects of the invention have been attained by providing a basketball goal which may be adjusted vertically by a simple, yet efiicient, mechanism. Because of its great simplicity, the structure may be easily made and assembled by simple mechanical operations at a minimum cost. The parts of the side plates may, for example, be joined by welding operations. By means of the invention it will be apparent that a basketball goal may be readily raised or lowered so as to render it useable by both adults and young children. While the vertical support member 10 is shown as set in concrete, other means may be employed for holding the support member. For example, a vertical post of ample length could be supported on a vertical wall by suitable brackets or the like.

Various modifications can obviously be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as pointed out n the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A basketball goal comprising a vertical support member having a rectangular cross-section, a carriage mounted for vertical movement on said member and having two spaced side plates in sliding engagement with the respective side faces of the member, two rollers mounted on the carriage and positioned, respectively, in rolling engagement with the front and rear faces of the member, supporting arms projecting forwardly from the carriage, a blackboard and attached hoop carried by the arms, and means for moving the carriage and holding it in adjusted position on the support member.

2. In a basketball goal, a vertical support member, a

carriage mounted for vertical movement on said member and comprising a pair of spaced side plates mounted, respectively, on opposite faces of said member and in sliding engagement therewith, means for connecting said side plates and holding them in adjusted engagement with said faces, a pair of rollers carried, respectively, by the upper rear and lower front portions of the carriage between said plates and located, respectively, on the front and rear faces of said support member and in rolling engagement with the respective face's, support arms projecting forwardly from the carriage, a backboard and attached hoop carried by the forward portions of said arms, and means for vertically moving the carriage and holding it in adjusted position.

3. In a basketball goal having a backboard and a hoop attached thereto, the combination of means for adjustably supporting said backboard comprising a vertical support member having front and rear faces and parallel side faces, a carriage mounted for, vertical movement on said support member and comprising a pair of spaced side plates which are held in sliding engagement with the respective side faces of the support member, a pair of rollers carried, respectively, by the upper rear and lower front portions of the carriage in rolling engagement with the respectively adjacent rear and front faces of the support member, supporting arms projecting forwardly from the carriage and supporting said backboard, and means for vertically adjusting the backboard comprising a pulley carried at the upper part of the support member and a flexible cable connected to the front portion of the carriage and extending over the pulley and down along the rear side of the support member.

4. A basketball goal comprising a vertical support member having parallel front and rear faces and parallel side faces, a carriage mounted for vertical movement on the member, said carriage comprising a pair of spaced side plates mounted, respectively, on the opposite sides of the support member in sliding engagement with the side faces, means for connecting the spaced plates and holding them in adjustable engagement with the side faces of the support member, a roller mounted between the rear upper portions of the side plates for rolling engagement with the rear face of the support member, a second roller mounted between the front lower portions of the side References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 160,475 3/ 1875 Shannon 248-320 X 1,347,846 7/1920 Gelb 248- 297 X 2,379,572 7/1945 Gibson 273- 2,534,067 12/1950 Ru-bin 2731.5 2,986,395 5/1961 Sheftel 2731.5 3,017,183 1/ 1962 Chalcroft 273--1.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,037,433 4/ 1953 France. 1,132,253 10/1956 France.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. J. BOVASSO, S. NATTER, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A BASKETBALL GOAL COMPRISING A VERTICAL SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING A RECTANGULAR CROSS-SECTION, A CARRIAGE MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT ON SAID MEMBER AND HAVING TWO SPACED SIDE PLATES IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RESPECTIVE SIDE FACES OF THE MEMBER, TWO ROLLERS MOUNTED ON THE CARRIAGE AND POSITIONED, RESPECTIVELY, IN ROLLING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FRONT AND REAR FACES OF THE MEMBER, SUPPORTING ARMS PROJECTING FORWARDLY FROM THE CARRIAGE, 